FAQs

How do we define strategic plan, vision, mission, etc?

The strategic plan is the primary tool to govern our decision-making for all operations, functions, and resources.

What was the role of the latest group - Task Force 3?

Taskforce 3’s charge was to draft the vision, mission, core themes, and values. (The objectives for each core theme will be developed over fall quarter 2014.) 

Taskforce 3 began meeting at the end of spring quarter 2014 and met every two weeks over the summer.  The group pored over the data in the environmental scan prepared for the strategic plan development process.  The environmental scan included the themes that emerged from the student learning discussions we had last academic year. 

Next, Taskforce 3 unanimously decided to make sure each statement of the vision, mission, core themes, and values was simple, descriptive, and comprehensive so that internal and external constituents could easily understand the intent.  This is especially important because the Clark College 2015-2020 Strategic Plan will be a direction-setting document that will be used as a tool to make decisions, choose initiatives, and allocate resources.

What did Task Force 3 do with our feedback?

Taskforce 3 met two times after we received your feedback due to the volume of insightful feedback we received.  And we made some substantial changes based on your feedback.  You can review the results of the survey “Strategic Planning Feedback Opening Day 2014”.

Taskforce 3 read each comment and took the time to go over all of the emerging themes of the comments.  Please review “Taskforce 3 Response to Feedback.docx” at your convenience.  It is a large document with explanations.  In addition, we are looking at more effective ways to communicate this to you.  Each member of Taskforce 3 has committed to discuss the results you will find in the document at meetings where they are attending.  Please do not hesitate to contact a member of Taskforce 3 if you have any questions. And hold us accountable for sharing our experience of this development process!  Also, we will post these documents plus all of the comments on the college’s strategic plan website by next Wednesday.

You will find the edited draft of the Strategic Plan at, “DRAFT Strategic Plan Opening Day 2014 Adjustment.”  We are proud of the result of all of our hard work.

What are steps being taken in the late fall and winter of 2014-2015?

Shanda Diehl will be convening a small taskforce for each core theme:

Each of these core theme taskforces will meet over fall quarter to development the objectives for each core theme.   This will complete the drafting process of all components of Clark College 2015-2020 Strategic Plan.   If you are interested in serving on a taskforce, please contact Shanda (sdiehl@clark.edu) or ext. 2421.

The Planning and Accreditation Committee will solicit feedback from you during winter quarter 2015, and revise the components of the draft strategic plan based on what you tell us then.  We hope the Board of Trustees will review and adopt the plan in later winter or early spring 2015.

What are we talking about when we are talking about student learning?

For the purposes of this strategic planning process, we consider student learning as the knowledge, skills, and connections gained at Clark College.  Please watch the very short student learning video again (http://youtu.be/MAgevXIYrC0).   I think it is a great introduction to how we are all connected to student learning and what we are trying to do right now to develop this next strategic plan. 

Are we going to develop the 2015-2020 strategic plan based only on employee feedback?

No!  Before we collect the data and information to develop the strategic plan, we need first to develop a shared vision.  This shared vision of student learning and our future will be the foundation for all of the information we gather, analyze, and use to develop the 2015-2020 strategic plan.  Taskforce 2 will be convened by the end of February to produce an environmental scan of educational, industry, technology, social, and other trends and projections and how those will impact student learning at Clark College in the near future.  Taskforce 2 will conclude their work by the middle of spring quarter and submit it to Taskforce 3 to draft the vision, mission, core themes, and values for the 2015-2020 strategic plan.  (If you would like to serve on either of these taskforces, please let me know.)  I attached a handout to explain the process further.

Is this next strategic plan going to be something that can help us prioritize initiatives and resources?

Yes!  The 2015-2020 strategic plan will be a set of strategies to achieve a collective set of purposes and will have the following characteristics:

What is being done with the results of our small group and college-wide discussions?

Currently, the Planning and Accreditation Committee has been working to identify the themes that emerged from Opening Day’s student learning conversations.  Once finalized, these themes will be made available to all.  The committee will begin work to identify the themes from the Access to Learn discussions in November and Environment to Learn in December and January.  The themes (and detail of our discussions) will be given to Taskforce 2 to direct their work in collecting and analyzing data and information regarding the major themes that come out of this vision process.